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Tuesday, November 8 2011

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Political analyst Charlie Cook to headline inaugural Harkin Institute events on Nov. 29

Prominent NBC News political analyst and publisher of The Cook Political Report, Charlie Cook (right) will discuss the Iowa Caucuses and the 2012 election during the inaugural Harkin Institute of Public Policy Lecture in ISU's Memorial Union Sun Room on Tuesday, Nov. 29 at noon. The lecture will be preceded by a dedication ceremony for the Harkin Institute of Public Policy at Iowa State at 11:30 a.m. in the Memorial Union's Campanile Room.


Endurance frigid-water swimmer will speak Thursday

Brrrr! Ever wonder what it takes to swim the Bering Strait or the waters of Antarctica? The woman best known for performing open water swims in frigid waters and her physician will share their stories in a lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov 10 in the Memorial Union Sun Room. Lynne Cox, athlete and author of "Swimming to Antarctica" and other books, has used her amazing endurance swims as diplomatic tools to promote peace. Dr. Gabriella Miotto, Cox's physician for many of her record-breaking swims, is an activist and humanitarian. Her photos of Cox's icy-water swims appeared in The New Yorker. Their lecture, "From Athlete to Adventure Writer," is free and open to the public. It is part of the Women and Gender Studies 35th Anniversary Celebration.

Iowa State University will honor fallen soldiers in Gold Star Hall ceremony Nov. 10

The Iowa State University Memorial Union was created in 1928 as a memorial to Iowa Staters who died in World War I. Their names are engraved in the walls of the union's Gold Star Hall. Decades after the building opened, more fallen, former Iowa State students became known, and their memorial tribute continues this year. The names of four former Iowa State students who died while on active duty in the U.S. Armed Services are being added to the wall. And their lives will be honored during the annual Gold Star Hall observance. The ceremony will be at 3:15 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, in the Memorial Union Great Hall. It is free and open to the public.

It was a high-energy summer for Iowa State undergraduates at European physics lab

A team of 10 Iowa State University undergraduates spent part of their summer at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research and home of the Large Hadron Collider. They worked to develop and build nearly a half ton of neutron-counting equipment for an international project. John Hauptman, a professor of physics and astronomy, said the students' equipment took measurements never before collected by any physics team.

ISU’s Veterinary Medicine and Human Sciences animal programs receive full accreditation

ISU Vice President for Research and Economic Development Sharron Quisenberry has announced that the university's College of Veterinary Medicine and College of Human Sciences received full accreditation of their animal programs and facilities from the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) International.


Getting wine from grape to glass faster, easier is focus of grant to wine producing group

A recently awarded $2.5 million grant will help colder-weather states such as Iowa overcome obstacles in the vineyard, winery and tasting room and also improve tourism. The grant's focus is a group of extremely cold-hardy wine grape varieties, new to both growers and consumers. These grapes have spawned new small winery industries in the upper Midwest and Northeast over the past decade.

ISU economics study finds Vision Iowa provided healthy return on investment

A new report by Iowa State economics faculty and students (right) found that the former Vision Iowa program -- which was instituted in 2001 to enhance recreational, cultural, educational or entertainment attractions available across the state -- made the state an annual 9.2 percent return on investment in terms of increased sales tax revenue through 2008. Local communities also saw nearly a 1 percent annual return on their investment from the resulting amenities.

Wind Energy Manufacturing Lab helps Iowa State engineers improve wind power

Iowa State University's Wind Energy Manufacturing Laboratory is helping engineers study and develop new, low-cost manufacturing systems that could improve the productivity of turbine blade factories. The ultimate goal of the lab research is to make wind energy a more cost competitive energy option.